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The Indoor Demon Strikes Again: Get Ready For Innipúkinn
You all know Verslunarmannahelgi (“Shopkeeper’s Weekend”). You’re going to get shitfaced in the Westman Islands and camp in the god-forsaken rain, while the wind blows the beer out of your hand. Doesn‘t sound like too much fun, does it? The team behind…
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Viking Spirit: Charge Into The Einherjar Viking Organisation’s Anniversary Festival
All eyes are on Iceland right now. The Icelandic men’s national football team recently made world news when they entered the FIFA World Cup for the first time ever. Even though they didn’t get very far, a huge audience was enchanted by…
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Reaching For The Moon: Kælan Mikla Reissue Debut, Play with The Cure
Even though Iceland has been cold as fuck this year, local alternative goth trio Kælan Mikla have found themselves a spot in the sun. When we sit down with bassist Margrét Rósa Dóru-Harrysdóttir and lead vocalist Laufey Soffia (the third member, keyboardist…
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Life In Pictures: Children Know Better
Children are the miracle of life. Within no more than nine months, humans have the ability to give birth to a new life that will last many decades. Isn’t that freaking amazing?! But not only that, children are also born with natural…
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Athöfn: The 4-Day Eco-Social Festival In The South Of Iceland
There are many challenges planet Earth faces today: waste, plastic, global warming and the destruction of nature, to mention a few. Many people dream about being able to help cure the environment. This summer, you will have an extraordinary chance to do…
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The Space: From Creative People For Creative People
There is fresh air in Reykjavík’s ex-industrial area, Grandi. Right next to the celebrated Omnom chocolate factory, there’s a space that’s aiming to pioneer a new kind of creative environment that’s been missing in Reykjavík. Inside, you will find a table made…
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Momentous Moments: Where To Watch The World Cup In Reykjavík
Iceland has already made history by becoming the smallest country (340,000 people) to participate in the World Cup, while big footballing names like Italy didn’t even qualify. You can imagine the anticipation of the country to go out and smite the entire…
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From Creative People For Creative People: The Space Reykjavík Opens Its Doors On June 16th
There is fresh air in Reykjavík’s ex-industrial area, Grandi. Right next to the celebrated Omnom chocolate factory, there’s a space that’s aiming to pioneer a new kind of creative environment that’s been missing in Reykjavík. Inside, you will find a table made…
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WOW Air Scores Worst In Service, Being On-Time, And Delay Compensation
Iceland’s budget airline WOW Air lands in last place (72nd) in AirHelp’s ranking list of the best airlines in the world, with a total score of 5.04 (out of 10). In comparison, Icelandair takes the 45th seat with a score of 7.38.…
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A Blessing And A Curse: A German Perspective On Iceland’s World Cup
I was born and raised in Germany, in a little conservative town in the Northeast that once belonged to the Soviet Union. I was born four years after the Fall of the Wall which reunited Germany as a nation. Yet, differences remain…
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New Promo Video Of Icelandic National Team Accused Of Chauvinism
We all know of the smiting abilities of Iceland. By qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, Iceland made history by becoming the smallest country to participate—ever. As we are sure that this is something to be proud of, the new promo video…
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Reykjavík Arts Festival: Borko Celebrates The Release Of “The Lover —Music For Dance”
Borko, aka Björn Kristjánsson, is a compelling character. With his impressive, well-groomed beard and his intelligent eyes behind old-school glasses, he seems like a person that lives in a cabin far out in the wilderness. A resident of Reykjavík, he instead goes…
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Sharing Is Caring: Reykjavik’s First Tool Library To Open This August
Let’s assume you’ve just bought a new hairdryer. It works perfectly until, two weeks later, it stops working all of a sudden. You get angry, and you‘re tempted to just throw it away—but stop right there! Very soon, there’ll be a much…
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Reykjavík Arts Festival: Úlfur and Halldór Eldjárn’s Reykjavik GPS Brings Interactivity To Music
It’s one of the first bright days of the summer in Iceland when I meet composer and musician Úlfur Eldjárn at Kaffi Vest. He orders two espressos, one for him, and one for his brother Halldór. “One time, when Halldór was late,…
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Bridging Cultures: “Kanema’s Song” Wins Both Awards At Skjaldborg
“In the year 2000, when my daughter Kanema was about three years old, there weren’t that many mixed families in Iceland, nor mixed children,” says Anna Þóra Steinþórsdóttir. “I used to go with her to do groceries and people would always be…
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Sweat & Nostalgia: The Second Night Of Reykjavik’s Deathfest, A Love Letter
Dear Reykjavík Deathfest, After your decent first night of crushing extreme metal, I am full of anticipation when I arrive at Gaukurinn at around 7pm. This night is all about nostalgia. We’ll see two reunions of old and beloved Icelandic bands—namely, Gruesome…
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Metal Is Death: Reykjavik Deathfest’s First Night Turns Gaukurinn To Ash
It’s Friday night. But not just any Friday night. It’s death metal night. For any fan of this subgenre, Reykjavík Deathfest comes close to being their holy grail, featuring international headliners such as Dead Congregation from Greece, Skinned from the USA, and…
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Well, You Asked: Dr. Phil On Single Gloves And Getting Rid Of Rashes
Stuck in a tricky situation? Don’t worry. Grapevine’s official advice column is here to help you. How to get drunk cheaply in Reykjavík? There are two options here. Firstly, you can buy an invisibility cloak and go to your favourite alcohol store,…
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Ask A Forester: Why Are There So Few Trees In Iceland?
What do you do when you get lost in an Icelandic forest? Stand up. That’s one of the lamest jokes about Iceland but it portrays the Icelandic landscape very well. We asked forester Brynjólfur Jónsson to enlighten us as to why Iceland…
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This Day In Icelandic History: Trading Vessels And A Nazi Attack
One thing Icelanders are not particularly known for is their participation in wars. Even though Iceland suffered casualties during the Cod Wars in the late 20th century, Iceland had been relatively sheltered from the horrible effects of the World Wars. Thus, when…
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The Breakfast Club: Morning Snacks & Decadent Brunches In Reykjavik
It’s 7am on a Saturday morning. You’re up early, or maybe you’ve just arrived in Reykjavík, and you’re walking down Laugavegur amidst the detritus of last night, complete with a few post-party zombies that haven’t gone to bed yet. But you don’t…
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Flip The Switch: Iceland’s Raflost Electronic Arts Festival Comes Online
Do you know what animated notations are? Have you ever been to an algorave? No? Well, then listen up, because the Raflost festival, held from May 23rd-27th, will soon be putting them on the map when they bring the latest electronic and…
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Director Of Icelandic TV Show ‘Trapped’ Goes Swimming With Sharks
What do you do on your day off while shooting a film on an island in the South Pacific Ocean? You go swimming with sharks, obviously. Right? Well, that’s at least what Icelandic film director Baltasar Kormákur thought. Best known for internationally…
